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Intellectual Property Law

: IPKat

Swedish Pirate Party wins EU parliament seat

By Johanna Gibson, David Pearce, Jeremy Phillips and Ilanah Simon.

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The results of the European elections are out and the IPKat learns from today's Guardian that the Swedish Pirate Party ("Piratpartiet", their party logo is depicted on the left), which, inter alia, wants to legalise internet file-sharing and intends to overhaul copyright and patent laws, won one of Sweden's 18 seats in the European parliament. Stockholm News has more details and reports that with final results from 98% of the Swedish election districts counted, the Pirate Party secured 7.1% of votes. AFP cites one of the party's candidates, Anna Troberg, who told Swedish television on Sunday "Privacy issues and civil liberties are important to people and they demonstrated that clearly when they voted today."

The BBC gives us further background information on the Pirate Party's political agenda. It appears that the Pirate Party campaigns for free access to the internet and intends to reform copyright law and the patent system. Interestingly, the party's membership figures rocketed (tripled within a week) after the recent controversial Pirate Bay ruling by a Swedish court concerning online file sharing (see the IPKat's posts here and here), even though the Pirate Bay file-sharing website has no links with the political party. The BBC further cites Rickard Falkvinge, leader of the party, who said last night: "We are writing history and we are securing civil liberties in Sweden, Europe and the world."

The IPKat is politically impartial and also not quite certain what the Pirate Party's exact plans and suggestions are ("The Pirate Party wants to fundamentally reform copyright law, get rid of the patent system, and ensure that citizens' rights to privacy are respected"; see the party's website here), but this Kat is nonetheless intrigued how the Pirate Bay decision appears to have influenced Swedish voters.

Full post as published by IPKat on June 08, 2009 (boomark / email).